AJ Smith-Shawver DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver will begin the season in the rotation, according to Justin Toscano. Smith-Shawver out-performed Ian Anderson this spring, who was recently traded to the Angels. He has struck out 20 batters while walking five in 16 innings this spring and is looking to translate the success he has seen as a prospect into production at the major league level. He encountered some road bumps last season, but he posted a 2.76 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with a 31.3% strikeout rate in the minors in 2023. Still only 22 years old, Smith-Shawver possesses long-term upside, but may only spend a brief time in the rotation to begin the year with Spencer Strider set to be ready at some point in April.

The Atlanta Braves move to use right-handed pitching prospect AJ Smith-Shawver on Friday in the Grapefruit League against the Tampa Bay Rays suggests that the team could be lining him up to make his first start of the 2025 season on Monday, March 31, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano suggests. The 22-year-old could be in the lead for the No. 5 rotation spot as he competes with Ian Anderson, but the Braves may prefer to open the year with a six-man rotation given the fact that they open the year with seven straight games before their first off day. The former seventh-rounder has fanned 18 with just three walks in 12 spring innings over his four starts after he made only one start in the regular season in the majors in 2024. A matchup against L.A. early on wouldn't be ideal, and Smith-Shawver may just be holding a rotation spot in April until Spencer Strider (elbow) is ready to return.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher prospect AJ Smith-Shawver made his spring debut on Wednesday, yielding zero runs on two hits while striking out three in two innings of work in a 9-4 Grapefruit League win over the Pirates. Smith-Shawver made 21 starts at Triple-A last season, posting an uninspiring 4.85 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, but also struck out 108 batters in 89 IP. The righty has been promoted to the majors twice so far in his career, making five starts in 2023 and one start in 2024, although the results have been mixed. The former seventh-round pick owns a 3.64 ERA (6.11 FIP, 5.20 SIERA), 1.11 WHIP, and an 8.9 percent K-BB% over 29 2/3 major league innings. He's battling for a spot in the rotation with Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson, but unless one of them falters, Smith-Shawver is likely to begin the season at Triple-A. If somehow he were to earn a rotation spot, the 22-year-old could make for an intriguing fantasy option as pitching for the Braves should provide a decent chance to rack up some Ws alongside decent strikeout totals.